As happens with several active government office holders and candidates, state Sen. Howie Morales is making the rounds in northern New Mexico. He stopped by the Optic office on a recent weekday afternoon during one of his recent campaign swings through San Miguel and Mora counties and took some of our questions.

Optic: Why can be done to bridge some of the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans, both in New Mexico and nationwide?

Maintaining her hens, sheep and cattle in the utmost, quality conditions has garnered Carla Gomez certificate labels of approval from A Greener World, a nonprofit organization that supports farmers and ranchers in sustainable farming systems.

The laying hens won top honors and are now certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World. This means the eggs those hens lay will get that labeling on any Los Vallecitos egg packaging. The sheep also scored at the top, while her beef came in second.